{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/at-t-could-cut-workforce-to-about-85-000-by-2030-as-it-automates-jobs","json":"https://digestai.news/story/at-t-could-cut-workforce-to-about-85-000-by-2030-as-it-automates-jobs.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/at-t-could-cut-workforce-to-about-85-000-by-2030-as-it-automates-jobs.md","slug":"at-t-could-cut-workforce-to-about-85-000-by-2030-as-it-automates-jobs","headline":"AT&T could cut workforce to about 85,000 by 2030 as it automates jobs","summary":"AT&T has been shedding staff at a rapid pace, cutting 8,000 employees last year and about 2,100 in the first half of 2026. A source familiar with the plan said the company is targeting a workforce of roughly 85,000 by 2030, a figure AT&T called inaccurate. The telecom giant employed nearly 131,000 people as of June and handles about 15 percent of global internet traffic.\n\nThe carrier is using AI tools such as the generative system GeoModeler to adjust network settings during extreme weather, and it will replace hardware at thousands of central hubs with cloud software from Israeli startup DriveNets, in which AT&T is an investor. AI also supports customer‑service automation, code generation and maintenance issue detection. As tasks become automated, middle‑management and junior developer roles are expected to disappear. AT&T’s shift away from copper lines has saved an estimated 660,000 MWh since 2024—a 13.1 percent drop in energy use from 2020‑2025—allowing it to retire under‑utilized infrastructure in more than 85 percent of its footprint by year‑end.","keyPoints":["AT&T cut 8,000 jobs last year and 2,100 in H1 2026, aiming for about 85,000 employees by 2030.","AI tools like GeoModeler and DriveNets cloud software are automating network management and replacing hardware at thousands of hubs.","AT&T says shifting from copper saved 660,000 MWh since 2024, a 13.1% drop in energy use from 2020‑2025."],"whyItMatters":"The move illustrates how legacy telecoms are leveraging AI to cut costs, automate infrastructure, and reshape employment, setting a precedent for the industry.","category":{"slug":"business","name":"Business & Funding","url":"https://digestai.news/category/business"},"entities":{"companies":["AT&T","Verizon","T-Mobile","DriveNets","SpaceX","Starlink"],"models":["GeoModeler"],"people":["John Stankey","Pascal Desroches","Legg"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-23T10:15:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-23T10:15:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"Wired AI","title":"AT&T Is Automating Away Jobs—and Its Old Telecom Empire","url":"https://wired.com/story/atandt-is-automating-away-its-old-telecom-empire","publishedAt":"2026-09-23T10:15:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"AT&T could cut workforce to about 85,000 by 2030 as it automates jobs\", 23 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/at-t-could-cut-workforce-to-about-85-000-by-2030-as-it-automates-jobs","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"AT&T could cut workforce to about 85,000 by 2030 as it automates jobs","datePublished":"2026-09-23T10:15:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/at-t-could-cut-workforce-to-about-85-000-by-2030-as-it-automates-jobs"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}